Grant Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2010

Thursday, 7 October 2010

Ceisteanna (207, 208, 209)

Joe McHugh

Ceist:

207 Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 1614 of 29 September 2010, if he will explain the reason just 68.82% of Donegal disadvantaged area payments are processed to date; the reason Donegal has the third lowest percentage of processed payments in the country; if he will expedite County Donegal payments in view of the payments’ important seasonal role in the county’s dry-stock industry; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that delayed payments are forcing many farmers into bad credit with banks and with contractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35471/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Deputy Brendan Smith)

The current position regarding payments under the 2010 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is as outlined in the following Table. The Deputy will be aware of the campaign earlier this year designed to encourage farmers to map all ineligible areas on their farms and to submit such maps to my Department for digitising. The rules of the Scheme have always been very clear as to which areas are ineligible and, while, the majority of farmers had been making sufficient allowances for such areas in their claims, they had not submitted the necessary maps to my Department to allow the areas in question be mapped onto my Department's land parcel database. Because of this, we were potentially seriously exposed to significant EU sanctions, as there is a real expectation on the part of EU auditors that such land databases should accurately reflect the position on the ground. The following table, outing the level of payments made to date, reflects the degree to which digitising is required in each county. Every effort is being made and will continue to be made to expedite payments and, to this end, additional resources have been made available, both within my Department and also to the digitising contractor.

County	Applied 2010	Paid 2010	%
Carlow	766	600	78.33
Cavan	4,807	3,981	82.82
Clare	6,076	4,991	82.14
Cork	6,941	5,460	78.66
Donegal	8,529	6,109	71.63
Dublin	135	91	67.41
Galway	12,219	9,373	76.71
Kerry	7,692	5,840	75.92
Kildare	518	392	75.68
Kilkenny	1,784	1,411	79.09
Laois	1,695	1,409	83.13
Leitrim	3,394	2,668	78.61
Limerick	2,933	2,383	81.25
Longford	2,404	1,974	82.11
Louth	816	574	70.34
Mayo	11,395	8,429	73.97
Meath	1,330	1,091	82.03
Monaghan	4,076	3,343	82.02
Offaly	2,423	1,970	81.30
Roscommon	5,836	4,669	80.00
Sligo	4,091	3,313	80.98
Tipperary	4,462	3,616	81.04
Waterford	1,452	1,200	82.64
Westmeath	2,553	2,149	84.18
Wexford	1,516	1,074	70.84
Wicklow	1,770	1,310	74.01
Totals	101,613	79,420	78.16

Michael Creed

Ceist:

208 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) will be paid their REPS 4 grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35492/10]

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Deputy Brendan Smith)

The EU Regulations governing REPS 4 and other area-based schemes provide that payments issue in two instalments. The first instalment of 75% may be paid once all administrative checks on all applications, as well as cross-checks against areas declared on Single Payment Scheme applications, have been completed. This process is under way and while my objective is to make all payments as soon as possible, the checks are likely to take several more weeks to complete. The balancing payment of 25% can issue once all on-the-spot inspections for the year have taken place. The programme of inspections is well advanced at this stage.

Paul Kehoe

Ceist:

209 Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding a farm improvement grant in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35503/10]

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Deputy Brendan Smith)

My Department has no record of having received an application for grant-aid under the Farm Improvement Scheme from the person concerned.